ACN 038/19 - APR 2019 MONTH OF THE MILITARY CHILD: IN-HOME FAMILY CHILDCARE (FCC) INITIATIVES

ALCOAST COMMANDANT NOTICE                                                   CANCEL DATE 29 APR 2020

R 301030 APR 19
FM COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC//CG-11/CG-13//
TO ALCOAST
UNCLAS //N05400//
ACN 038/19
SUBJ: MONTH OF THE MILITARY CHILD: IN-HOME FAMILY CHILDCARE (FCC) INITIATIVES
A. Coast Guard Housing Manual, COMDTINST M11101.13 (series)
B. Coast Guard Child Development Services Manual, COMDTINST M1754.15 (series)
1. Each year since the mid-1980s, April has been designated the Month of the Military Child.
In conjunction with the Month of the Military Child, we are happy to announce a new
collaborative initiative between the Coast Guard and the Coast Guard Foundation (CGF), a
fifty-year old non-profit organization dedicated to supporting Coast Guard members and their
families. The CGF is launching a grant program allowing Coast Guard spouses interested in
becoming Family Child Care (FCC) providers an opportunity to offset start-up costs required to
establish a child care business in their homes.
2. The Coast Guard FCC Program at:
https://www.dcms.uscg.mil/worklife/Child-Care/Family-Child-Care-FCC/, serves children in highly
beneficial ways. This program provides Coast Guard spouses the opportunity to develop a child
care business in their Coast Guard-owned family housing unit. The arrangement offers safe and
dependable child care for Coast Guard members and provides thriving business opportunities for
Coast Guard spouses.
    a. The CGF, with the support of GEICO, will fund FCC grants during a 2-year pilot at Base
Kodiak, Training Center Cape May, Sector New York, and Training Center Petaluma. These units
will be provided $5,000 each to fund five $1,000 grants for Coast Guard spouses to start new
FCC businesses. During this pilot program, feedback will be provided to the CGF in order to
potentially move from a pilot to a more formalized program.
    b. The FCC grant application process will be available for review on 29 April at:
https://coastguardfoundation.org/spousegrant. There will be two initial application periods:
1 May to 15 June 2019 and 1 September to 15 October 2019.
3. As an additional initiative, housing options are being expanded to allow new FCC providers
the opportunity to request assignment to Coast Guard-owned family housing that exceeds their
actual bedroom qualification by one bedroom on a space-available basis. This opportunity is
limited to FCC providers operating in any Coast Guard-owned housing and does not extend to
Department of Defense or government leased homes. The provisions of this change are in effect
immediately, and will be reflected in the next update to REF (A), which will be released within
the next year.
4. POCs:
    a. For questions related to the FCC program, please contact: Dr. Marta E. Denchfield, Chief,
Behavioral Health Services Division at 202-475-5253 or at Marta.E.Denchfield@uscg.mil. For the
Coast Guard Foundation: Ms. Sage Williams, Program Director, at 860-535-0786 or
SWilliams@coastguardfoundation.org.
    b. Questions about housing for FCC providers should be directed to COMDT (CG-1333) POC:
Mr. James R. Jeffery at 202-475-5411 or James.R.Jeffery2@uscg.mil.
5. Released by RADM D. L. Thomas, Director of Health, Safety and Work-life and RDML M. W. Sibley,
Director of Reserve and Military Personnel.
6. Internet release is authorized.